Most Voters Say Town Hall Meetings Should Be for Congressmen to Listen, Not Speak

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Most Voters Say Town Hall Meetings Should Be for Congressmen to Listen, Not Speak

Most Voters Say Town Hall Meetings Should Be for Congressmen to Listen, Not Speak
Thursday, September 03, 2009

At town hall meetings on the health care issue, most Americans say itís more important for those in Congress to listen rather than speak.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters nationwide say that itís more important for Congressmen to hear the view of their constituents rather than explain the proposed health care legislation. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 37% hold the opposite view while 7% are not sure.

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Not surprisingly, there are huge partisan divides on these questions.

Most Democrats believe that itís more important for members of Congress to explain the proposed legislation at town hall meetings. Those in President Barack Obamaís party also have an unfavorable view of the town hall protesters and believe the protests are phony efforts created by special interest groups.

Most Republicans and unaffiliated voters hold the opposite view on all three questions. They believe itís more important for Congress to listen at town hall meetings, they have a favorable view of the protesters, and they believe those protesters are reflecting the concerns of their neighbors.

Again, we are seeing that the independent voters don't see things the way the democrats and Obama supporters do. This is another indication to me, that the Obama administration is in real trouble, and the democrats are in for a rough ride in the 2010 mid-terms.

Re: Most Voters Say Town Hall Meetings Should Be for Congressmen to Listen, Not Speak

Originally Posted by Grim17

Again, we are seeing that the independent voters don't see things the way the democrats and Obama supporters do. This is another indication to me, that the Obama administration is in real trouble, and the democrats are in for a rough ride in the 2010 mid-terms.

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The only thing this shows is that many people are confusing our system of government, a Republic, with a direct democracy.

Sure, elected officials should listen to the concerns and opinions of their constituents. But how many average voters have the qualifications, the background in economics and public policy, to really discuss the nuts and bolts of the proposed health care reform bill?

And when a constituent comes to the podium carrying a photo of the President with a hitler mustache, the elected official has the duty to tell the idiot to go to hell.

Senators and Congressmen are elected to do the hard work of understanding the complexity of issues, see the bigger picture, and vote according to their best judgement.

Re: Most Voters Say Town Hall Meetings Should Be for Congressmen to Listen, Not Speak

Originally Posted by hazlnut

The only thing this shows is that many people are confusing our system of government, a Republic, with a direct democracy.

Uhhh, no. If it was a direct democracy there would be there would only be representatives to introduce bills, not to listen to the voters, everything would be done in cyclical elections. These representatives represent us, hence the base of the word. If they are not listening to the people who hired them by voting for them then they are not representing us are they?

Sure, elected officials should listen to the concerns and opinions of their constituents. But how many average voters have the qualifications, the background in economics and public policy, to really discuss the nuts and bolts of the proposed health care reform bill?

And what percentage do the elected representatives constitute to make them any better? Remember that peanut farmer who became president in the 70's, or the actor who took his place in the 80's, or the transitional guy from the CIA in the late 80's/early 90's, how about the lawyer turned governer who replaced him, or even to skip the last guy, the present simpleton that occupies the White House. Or how about the lifetime senator Kennedy? No? The career politicians?

And when a constituent comes to the podium carrying a photo of the President with a hitler mustache, the elected official has the duty to tell the idiot to go to hell.

Okay, one guy does that and all of a sudden that's a good example?

Senators and Congressmen are elected to do the hard work of understanding the complexity of issues, see the bigger picture, and vote according to their best judgement.

When they start doing that well and keep up their pledge to uphold the constitution then they will have less to answer to. It's not that complicated.

Neither side in an argument can find the truth when both make an absolute claim on it.

Re: Most Voters Say Town Hall Meetings Should Be for Congressmen to Listen, Not Speak

Originally Posted by Grim17

Again, we are seeing that the independent voters don't see things the way the democrats and Obama supporters do. This is another indication to me, that the Obama administration is in real trouble, and the democrats are in for a rough ride in the 2010 mid-terms.

Re: Most Voters Say Town Hall Meetings Should Be for Congressmen to Listen, Not Speak

Originally Posted by hazlnut

The only thing this shows is that many people are confusing our system of government, a Republic, with a direct democracy.

Sure, elected officials should listen to the concerns and opinions of their constituents. But how many average voters have the qualifications, the background in economics and public policy, to really discuss the nuts and bolts of the proposed health care reform bill?
.

Do you actually need to have a degree in economics or an understanding of economics to ask "how is this going to be paid for when our country is already debt or ask "how are we supposed to trust the same people who seem to not be able to run things right handle health care"?

"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murder is less to fear"